The Gawkey Birds Carry off Children who stay out after Dark

I grew up on Milwaukee northwest side off 78 and Florest. It was the 1960’s. I loved to visit my friend Candy up the block, and she delighted in my company. She and her family lived in house off 76th and Florest. They had the only house on that block. They had the entire block to themselves because the rest of the block was vacant land. I had so much fun playing by Candy’s house, that I didn’t want to leave, even though I was supposed to be home before dark.

Her father Jack, was a kind man. He had to tell me to leave so I could walk the block home before dark. Jack didn’t have the heart to simply say leave! So, instead he made up the story of the Gawkey Birds. He kindly told me that the Gawkey Birds swoop down and carry off children who stay out after dark. Jack was so descriptive that I could picture Pterodactyl’s swooping down on me. I was willing to leave and go home before dark. I still laugh about the gawkey birds and wonder how that family is doing.

That family had this dog, Maggie, she could turn the tv on and off. They had a tv that had a push button for on/off. I watched Maggie, raise her paw, and push the button to turn the tv on. Maggie sat on floor a minute to watch tv, and then raised her paw to press the button to turn it off. I was floored. Sherri (Candy’s older sister) calmly told me that Maggie knows how to do that.